Soaring Wings Slot
Soaring Wilds is a 3x5 reel slot machine from the guys at developer IGT. It comes in both 15-payline and 30-payline versions so there is a bit of flexibility there for the players. The game is available to play on the AVP and Game King Enhanced Video Slots.
IGT has included its Split Symbols feature on this game. This means players can have two symbols appearing in one position on the reels which can lead to more wins. The most renowned game from the IGT stable that also possesses this feature is the legendary Cats.
There is a maximum jackpot win amount of 10,000 credits with 1 credit bet per payline. The maximum bet that players can place on the 15-payline version is 300 credits. The maximum bet for players on the 30-payline version is 600 credits.
The developer also boasts that this game has an average return-on-bet per free spin percentage of 281% during its free games bonus round. That is quite a bold statement for the developer to make. IGT slots are hit and miss with their free spins so the prospect of frequent payouts is mouth-watering.
Theme
IGT are masters of taking a theme and pulling it off to the finest detail. This slot machine has a theme based on different birds of prey. Owls, hawks, eagles, and falcons are all present on the reels. We would have to draft in an expert ornithologist to determine what exact species each bird is but you get the general idea. Wilds and Scatters are also present on the reels for players. The Jack-through-to-Ace symbols fill up the regular symbol spaces on the reels.
When it comes to animal-themed slot machines, IGT has hit the button across the land-based market. Their previous slots such as 100 Ladies, 100 Pandas, and Prowling Panther have all been well-received so there is optimism that this title could follow in their footsteps.
The Split Symbols feature means that it immediately draws comparison to other IGT games like the aforementioned Cats and others titles including Noah's Ark and Twin Win but this is very much a game in its own right.
There is a Wild symbol that is represented by the Soaring Wings logo. This has the power to substitute for all other symbols to complete any possible winning combinations that might appear on the reels.
Features
The Split Symbols feature is the main draw for this slot machine and you would be mistaken for thinking that the game is solely focused around that. However, there are a couple of neat little features on this slot machine. We shall start with the Split Symbols though!
- Split Symbols – This feature has been used a fair bit by IGT and it is easy to see why. The game will randomly split symbols during the base game and two symbols in one position can offer a payout equivalent to that of 10 symbol wins. That is the potential of the Split Symbols and exemplifies why it is so popular with players.
- Free Games – In order to trigger the free games bonus feature on this slot machine you will need to land three or more Scatter symbols across the reels. This does not happen as much as it should. It is hard to blame IGT for this. There is enough action created by the Split Symbols that the Scatters almost feel like they are redundant. Even when you trigger the free spins the wins are not the greatest. This makes the free spins feel like an additional treat as opposed to something you should be working towards.
Summary
Soaring Wings is another solid release from IGT. The Split Symbols titles will always attract a decent following. It keeps the base game exciting. Plus, any title that can make the free games feel like they are playing second fiddle has to be appreciated.
It is perhaps dealt a harsh hand by being compared to top slot machines such as Cats and Noah's Ark. However, to even be mentioned in the same breath as those games is a testament to the game's quality and appeal.
This is certainly a game we would recommend. The free games could have more impact but maybe that is the spoilt slots player coming out. The Split Symbols and the wins you can have from the 5 matching symbols, which effectively turn into 10 matching symbols, are worth all the down sides.
